A Matter of Perspective
by Deep and Devastating
Summary: When Hermione's family is threatened because of her past, she calls upon her inner darkness and war training to save them. But who will save her from herself? EXCRP: "How could you be so cruel?" ..."Cruelty is merely a matter of perspective." Dark Fic!
1. Til' Death do you Wrong

**_Til' Death do you Wrong  
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_**AN:** Right. So, since I'm on the homestretch of finishing up Under the Guise of Innocence, I decided to start posting this fic. It is one I'm super excited about and I have been writing on quite often during my intense writers block on Innocence. I'm not quite certain how frequently I'll update while I finish up the last eight chapters of Innocence, but I do know that this fic will be receiving my full attention once Innocence is complete._**  
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_**Summary:** When Hermione's family is threatened because of her past, she calls upon her inner darkness and war training to save them. But who will save her from herself? This story will be set AU Eclipse and I believe that most of the Harry Potter sequence will be AU after Order of the Phoenix. _

_**Chapter Warning:** This story is **rated M** for reasons other than sex and swearing. It will be extremely dark for Hermione's character and a bit graphic at times. I suggest you pass on this one if seeing a hard, cold, ruthless, closed off, and sarcastic portrayal of Hermione bothers you or if a bit of blood and guts just isn't your thing because I have no intention of changing it. _

_**Disclaimer: **I unfortunately am not the owner of the Harry Potter series or the Twilight saga. I'm just playing with the characters._

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_(Hermione POV)_

I stood, in the middle of what used to be my parents home, wondering how it all had come down to this. How had this come to pass? The war had been won nearly a year ago. The light was victorious. The dark had fallen. Nearly every known Death Eater had either disappeared from Europe after their masters demise or was rotting away in Azkaban. The Order had went from meeting at least three times a week to once every fortnight because there had not been sightings of those at large in over six months.

That's why I had taken the initiative to restore my parents memories. That's why I told them it was alright to return from Australia. It should have been safe enough for them to come home.

But it wasn't.

Apparently, we had only been lulled into a false sense of security. They wanted to surprise us with an attack. That was something we realized the moment the first alarm we have had in six months went off. It alerted all Order members that the Dark Mark had been cast into the sky. Never did I expect for it to lead to my parents house when I responded. Never did I expect to see the smoky, insubstantial, intertwined snake and skull floating above their home.

And never did I expect to find this inside.

I cringed as I took in the sight of my childhood home. Around me was nothing but carnage. A terrible struggle had occurred on this foggy April morning. The front door was hanging from a lone hinge. It would likely fall at any given moment. The furniture had been turned over. The end tables were reduced to mere slivers of wood. Shards of glass littered the floor. The windows were non-existent. The roof was halfway blown off revealing the green tinged Dark Mark hovering in the black sky above.

In the center of the aftermath sat the majority of my parents mangled bodies lying in a large, coagulating pool of their own blood. Scattered throughout the bottom floor were randomly severed body parts. A well muscled arm was lying haphazardly atop the mantle of the fire place. A few fingers, some long and spindly others thick and calloused, were strewn across the staircase. An ear was slowly sliding down the wall leaving a trail of blood and brain matter behind. A delicate and decidedly feminine foot could be seen lying on its' side in the kitchen.

Their features were barely recognizable beneath the blood and gaping flesh. It was obvious by both the bodies and the state of the house that some sick form of cat and mouse had been played here. They hadn't been given the grace of a quick, painless death. The _Avada Kedavra_ curse had not been used on this night. They had been toyed with by those more powerful than them. They had been tortured and left to bleed out.

I don't know why that surprises me as much as it does. It's a well documented fact that Death Eater's love playing games with their victims. This means the innocents will experience the worst sorts of terror imaginable before they are killed. I had seen scenarios nearly identical to this thousands of times throughout the War. Especially when they held revels which were parties in which they descended on muggle neighborhoods for a bit of recreational killing and torture.

Psychopathic behavior in its truest form.

"Stop!" I cried.

The abrupt mono-syllabic word was the first one I had spoken since entering the premises.

I rushed forwards for a better look because as the Auror's had rotated the bodies, I glimpsed a tiny series of symbols carved into the back of my father's neck. I recognized the intricate designs immediately. They were drawn to begin the process of turning the corpse into an Inferi. They were carved by a necromancer whilst the victim was dying in order to trap part of their soul to this plane of existence, thus giving the decaying body life. A quick lift of my mother's bloodied auburn hair revealed the same symbols at the base of her skull.

Bile rose in my throat as I breathed heavily through my mouth in an attempt to keep from puking again. Merlin knows there was nothing left to come back up and dry heaving is the most uncomfortable feeling on this planet.

My eyes numbly drifted from the bodies up to the words to my left. They were streaked across the wall of the foyer in gunky, drying human blood. They stood out, begging for their threatening message to be read by any with the nerve to enter such a horrific scene. They pulsed before my eyes, forever burning themselves in my brain.

**_ 'Mommy and Daddy put up a good fight Mudblood. Will Uncle Charlie and Isabella?_**

**_ With Love, B.L._**'

I stared at those two initials with more hate and contempt than I had ever felt before. Small, uncontrollable sparks began shooting from my fingertips as my emotions caught up with me. My body was trembling violently with rage. I looked at those words as if I would be able to kill the owner of said initials with my glare alone.

I knew what name they stood for. Bellatrix Lestrange. The woman who killed her own cousin, Sirius Black. The woman who killed her niece, Nymphadora Tonks. The woman who tortured me for hours then handed me off to Greyback so that he could maul me.

That bitch did this too. That bitch is the reason my parents are dead. That bitch is the reason I would have to have my parents bodies burned immediately before the awakening process can begin. I instinctually knew that for some fucked up reason, this was personal. Perhaps she cared for old Rodolphus more than we thought and was seeking revenge on his killer. Or maybe she's still got her knickers in a twist about my escape from one of the many muggle born disposal camps.

Either way, she wasn't attacking the Order or random Muggles. She wasn't attacking me. She was attacking my family. She was attempting to turn them into an army of _Inferi_. She was probably hoping to send my own flesh and blood to kill me.

Coward.

But she was crazier than I thought if she believed she would get away with this. She wouldn't be getting the chance to kill my Uncle Charlie and my younger cousin Bella. I would protect my last remaining family members with every resource at my disposal. I didn't get the chance to save Mum and Dad since the whore attacked my defenseless family without warning. But now that I knew what she was up to, now that I knew what sort of sick game she was playing, I wouldn't be sitting idly by. I would save their lives if it was the last thing I ever did.

Large, calloused hands landed on either of my shoulders in silent support. I knew who they belonged to without looking. Harry and Ron. My blood brothers. I could feel their love, grief, and unwavering support through our blood bond. No words were needed. They were silently telling me that they would follow my lead on this.

I pulled out a charmed silver coin very similar to the ones used by Dumbledore's Army. It was only connected to the two I had sent to both of my American family members via owl post at the start of the war. I rubbed my finger counter clockwise three times while thinking of my message. It burned white hot, letting me know my message had been transferred.

I glanced down before sliding it back into the special pouch on my wand holster just to be sure it was clear. Emblazoned around the edge of the coin were my short, choppy messages.

_** Be careful, D.E.'s headed to Forks. On our way.**_

My fury blazed to new heights as I cast one more glance around my decimated childhood home. She would pay. Those who helped her would pay. Harry and Ron seemed to sense my resolve. Both withdrew their hands from my shoulder and followed me outside. I glanced up from beneath my lashes to see their usually jovial faces transformed by the cold, stoic, murderous expressions we wore frequently during the war. I held no doubt that my own countenance mirrored theirs.

It felt good to know that my brothers had my back. That they wanted revenge just as much as I. In sync, we stalked to Kingsley who, due to the personal nature of the attack, was discussing the situation with various Auror's.

"She will pay for this," I snarled out the moment I was within his hearing range.

"Hermione…"

"**No**! Did you read the message she left? She is going after the rest of my family Kingsley. She attempted to transform them into _Inferi._ I will be protecting them. I will hunt her down and I will be taking that psychotic bitch out whether the Ministry approves or not!" I exclaimed, cutting off his placating, peace filled words with my own enraged ones.

They were not ones I wanted to hear. I was beyond the point of talking out my problems in a peaceful, diplomatic manner. I was beyond sitting back and letting the bumbling fools in the Ministry handle things like I had in the past. And that is exactly what they were. Bumbling, idiotic fools. They obviously weren't capable of doing their jobs since Bellatrix LeStrange and several other Death Eater's had not been caught.

Harry and Ron were both nodding their agreement at my side.

"She's insane Kingsley. We'll be lucky if her and her Death Eater buddies don't go on a killing spree between here and there. She needs to be stopped. Besides, we have more experience dealing with her than any of the new Auror's. We are the best for the job," Harry stated, knowing that giving his opinion on the situation would by-pass a lot of hassle due to the whole 'Boy-Who-Lived-to-Defeat-Voldemort' status.

I watched as one of my old mentors and fellow Order member pinched the bridge of his nose. It was a clear sign of his stressed out state. "You three are sure this is what you want to do? You are aware of the danger in going after her?"

"Yes," we replied to both questions in unison.

"Then I insist you take a team for backup. We all know from personal experience that Bellatrix will not be easy to capture. By leaving the message, she has turned this into a game. She's made her move and now she'll wait for us to make ours. She will test to see just how close she can get then plan attacks accordingly. And she will likely be leaving false trails instead of attacking Hermione's family directly just to make it that much harder on us. I will offer you and whatever Order members you bring along the full support of the Ministry of Magic. You will be given full diplomatic immunity. Your actions will not be held against you."

I knew I had his word that he was undoubtedly on our side, but there were still those in the Ministry I didn't trust as far as I could throw them. They would love a reason to throw us in Azkaban. I knew that I needed to obtain an oath from him and another member of the Wizengamot on behalf of the Ministry. It was my responsibility as the leading Order member to secure the Ministry's support for our actions from this point forward.

I walked over to a fellow Order member whom was also a high ranking member of the Wizengamot and explained the situation in hushed whispers. I needed two members of the government and two members of the Order to make the oath. She agreed and we rejoined Kingsley.

"Now I, Hermione Jean Granger, must ask you , Kingsley Sean Shacklebolt, reigning Minister of Magic; Do we- the active members of The Order of the Phoenix- have the support of The Ministry of Magic to use any means necessary to eliminate this threat?"

"The Order of the Phoenix does so have my support and that of The Ministry of Magic to use any means they deem necessary to eliminate this threat. By command of the Ministry, members are to refrain from showing mercy to any person or creature they encounter in league with Bellatrix LeStrange as they will be shown none in return. When they enter a duel, they should do so knowing that it will likely be a duel to the death."

Harry and Amelia had both moved to flank me. Kingsley procured the silver dagger required for the Oath. He slit it across his left palm, drawing a harsh flow of crimson liquid straight from his heart line. It was passed off to me and I copied his actions as did those on either side of me. I brought my left hand to meet Kingsley's and immediately the magic of the blood oath began swirling around us as our blood mixed.

"I, Hermione Jean Granger - leading team member of The Order of the Phoenix- accept the terms and conditions stipulated by Kingsley Sean Shacklebolt, Minister of Magic. With the support of the Ministry, Order members will use any means deemed necessary to eliminate this threat to the magical world and their families; We will not show those who oppose us any mercy; We will enter a duel knowing we will be dueling to the death. I offer my blood and magical essence as a sacrifice to prove my conviction in upholding this oath."

The magic flared, golden binds winding up our arms. At this point Harry stepped forward and added his hand to ours, allowing his blood to mix. "I, Harry James Potter- highest ranking member of The Order of the Phoenix present- bear witness to this blood oath on behalf of Hermione Jean Granger. As a member of The Order of the Phoenix, I agree to the stipulations set forth by Minister Kingsley Sean Shacklebolt. I offer my blood and magical essence as a sacrifice to prove my conviction in upholding this oath."

The golden ropes moved to wind up his arm and Amelia stepped forward, placing her hand on top. "I, Lady Amelia Bones - Second most powerful member of The Wizengamot present- Bear witness to this blood oath on behalf of Kingsley Sean Shacklebolt. As an active member of The Magical Government, I agree to the stipulations set forth by Minister Kingsley Sean Shacklebolt and Hermione Jean Granger. I offer my blood and magical essence as a sacrifice to prove my conviction in upholding this oath."

Her magic surged forward to join ours and a fourth set of ropes bound her to us. The magic pulsed around us weighing our dedication to the oath. With a final golden flash, it accepted our sacrifice and pledge to bind us together. Our wounds were already healed by the magic, leaving behind a unique golden scar shaped like a phoenix.

"Who will you be bringing in on this mission?" Kingsley asked -eyes alight with curiosity as Harry, Ron, and I prepared to Apparate away.

"A talented team of those who want to see her dead or spending the rest of her life in Azkaban just as much as we do," I answered, my lips twisting into a smirk that perfectly mimicked that of my long time school rivals.

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So... like it? Hate it?


	2. Some Day I'm Gonna Find It

**_Some Day I'm Gonna Find it  
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_**Summary:** When Hermione's family is threatened because of her past, she calls upon her inner darkness and war training to save them. But who will save her from herself? This story will be set AU Eclipse and I believe that most of the Harry Potter sequence will be AU after Order of the Phoenix. _

_** Warning:** This story is **rated M** for reasons other than sex and swearing. It will be extremely dark for Hermione's character and a bit graphic at times. I suggest you pass on this one if seeing a hard, cold, ruthless, closed off, and sarcastic portrayal of Hermione bothers you or if a bit of blood and guts just isn't your thing because I have no intention of changing it. _

_**Disclaimer: **I unfortunately am not the owner of the Harry Potter series or the Twilight saga. I'm just playing with the characters._

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**_(And now, a few words from Peter)_**

_"But what does an eternity of damnation matter to one who has found for one second the infinity of pleasure?"_

Charles Baudelaire's words are some I remember having heard when I was a human. They were spoken to me in passing by none other than my Captain, George S. Patton, in September of the year 1918 during the _Meuse-Argonne Offensive_*****. In the midst of the one hundred day, non-stop battling against the Imperial German Forces, that quote helped to remind me of the future I was fightin' for. Those words became my drivin' force and served as my mantra when I felt like I didn't have the will to survive one more day in the harsh conditions of the Great War.

To this very day they still affect me just as profoundly as they did all those years ago. Their elusive promise of discovering such vast amounts of pleasure became more tangible once I awoke as one of the eternally damned. And they once again rang through my memory as I sat on a stark white sofa pondering my new place amongst the Olympic coven.

Each and every member had found that infinity of pleasure I've been seekin' for the past ninety years. All of the little things that make their coven such an oddity amongst us creatures of darkness only made them happier with their lot in life.

Their diet.

Their integration into society via work or school.

The compassion for human life.

Their ability to co-exist peacefully.

None of those are things I would've believed possible for such a large grouping of vampires based on my previous experience as a member of Maria's coven from hell. In fact, I shot Jasper down several times when he invited me to join based on that sole experience. I simply had no faith that my eternal happiness would be cloaked beneath such strange ways of life. But yet, here I am eatin' my previous denials, because now that I'm actually livin' amongst them, every word he ever spoke to describe this family of vampires has been proven true.

They are what a family is meant to be, loving and supportive. Each member has their own niche…their own little role to fill. Carlisle and Esme are the quintessential doting parents. Rosalie is the over-protective, high strung older sister you both admire and hate. Emmett is the happy go lucky brother. He's always waiting in the wings with a punch line when you need to smile. He's always there to offer advice if you need it. And he's always a willing sparring partner if you need to vent some anger. Edward is that pretentious and annoying know-it-all little brother you want to smack around a few times. Alice, bless her heart, is the midget you try your damndest to avoid lest you want to be subjected to her shopping addiction. Jasper tends to be the calming influence on the family. He's the one everyone unconsciously leans on and looks to for guidance in their times of need. Last but not least is the human girl, Bella. She's a real sweetheart and perhaps the most important part of the family. She shows everyone unconditional acceptance. She gives them all a bit of their humanity back whether she realizes it or not.

I got to say that I can definitely picture myself changin' my diet and enjoyin' my existence far more here, as a part of the Cullen family, than I ever have before.

To tell you the truth, I can't even pinpoint why I was truly so disinclined to trust Jasper's description of his coven. I just know I'll be eternally thankful for the events that led me back to my brother and into the home of my new family.

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_It was All Fools Day. An unofficial holiday on the first of April that I hold great appreciation for. Why? Not only did the humans get up to some truly funny shenanigans on this day every year, but the scum of society saw April Fools as a holiday created especially for them to capitalize on even though it likely existed long before Chaucer or any other literary great made it popular by referencin' it in their works._

_It was one of the best days of the year for me to go huntin'. The truly cunning criminals would bank on the happy go-lucky feelings always in abundance on world-wide prank day. It was insanely easy for them to lure their victims to them by claimin' to need help with an elaborate prank. Most of the time this occurred at bars where their victims were already well on the way to becomin' incredibly intoxicated._

_Once they had them outside is, of course, when they would strike. Murderin', rapin', or muggin' the person gullible enough to leave the safety of the bar to help a complete stranger._

_To be honest, this really brought about the whole What Would Jesus Do dilemma for me._

_On one hand, I could just go about my day- turning a blind eye to what's happenin' to these relatively innocent humans while I find myself a more dangerous sort of criminal elsewhere. On the other, I could kill two birds with one stone. Get myself a yummy snack and do my weekly good deed._

_So about the time they are lured into a dank alleyway is when I take the opportunity to swoop in and save the day._

_Over the years, I've sort of began to fancy myself a dark and misunderstood vigilante. I've been savin' the world from total destruction one scum ball at a time since the 1940s._

_Minus the cape and awkward face masks of course._

_Anyways, I was passin' through the shadier side of Denver, Colorado on April Fools and had just saved this overly busty Marilyn Monroe wannabe from bein' bludgeoned to death for the measly twenty dollars in her purse when I saw somethin' that definitely caught my attention. There against the dumpster I had unceremoniously tossed the muggers body into was a newspaper dated the thirtieth of March._

_The front-page headline read "**Mysterious Death's on the Rise in Seattle**"._

_It immediately sparked my interest because Seattle was a mere one hundred and thirty miles away from where Jasper's family was currently living. I quickly snatched the paper up, eyes scannin' the article avidly. Sentences such as "Death toll almost reaching the triple digits", "All of the bodies have been found drained of blood without any apparent cause," and "These deaths are occurring at a time when there has been a severe influx in missing persons reports" stood out._

_The only thought I could associate with such information dealt with a part of my past that was extremely unpleasant. Newborns. This screamed that someone was attemptin' to create an army._

_The drained bodies… the missin' people…_

_These sorts of things in the news were classic signs of freshly turned vampires that I learned to identify back durin' my time in the Southern Territories. Such things helped me determine where our enemies were feedin' so that I could use my gift to gather intel on their movements, special talents, and numbers._

_Unfortunately, this newspaper article was also a sign that their creator was an amateur who didn't know jack shit about controllin' em. I knew for a fact that such work couldn't of been from someone experienced like Jasper. It was just too sloppy and indiscreet. If Major Whitlock was back in the business of fightin' for territory then no one would be the wiser until he came knockin' on their front door army in tow._

_Which meant it had to be a nomad who'd gotten their feathers ruffled and decided to challenge a coven in the immediate Seattle area. And the only coven in the state of Washington I was aware of happened to be Jasper's._

_I had begun running through the dark streets of Denver and back to my Harley before I was even aware of the decision to do so consciously runnin' through my head. I couldn't go lettin' Jasper be caught unawares. He needed to know what he was dealin' with and my gift would be perfect for finding out. Just like it had been during the wars._

_Besides, there was no way I was gonna leave my brother on his own when I was aware of the fight coming towards him. No way. No day. No how. It just wasn't gonna happen._

_Roughly twelve hours later I found myself slowin' down as I rolled through the town of Forks. The scent of vampires was heavy in the air, so I merely followed the trail till I came to a barely visible driveway bout six miles outside of town. As I slowed to make the turn, a big ol rusty Chevy with a pretty brunette behind the wheel was just swingin' in from the opposite direction._

_A pretty brunette that was **human** if the heartbeat and flushed cheeks were anythin' to judge by._

_I admit. My interest was immediately spiked by this. I followed the monstrous beast as it slowly made its way up the winding dirt road. The roar of this humans engine nearly put the low and menacing rumble of my Harley to shame. My contemplation of what modifications I could add to my bike to make it rumble louder than the humans truck was cut short when I rolled to a stop. There were five vampires coming out of the large Victorian era mansion. Two of them were blonds, two were brunettes, and the last was an awkward lookin' redhead. Jasper's mop of dirty blond curls and the pixie's jet black spikey do were definitely missin'._

_I figured these vampires had heard the approach of the two vehicles instead of one, most likely realizing one of us wasn't human due to my absentee heartbeat, and decided to investigate. In a show of submission I remained sittin' astride my bike. I didn't fancy losin' any limbs._

_So while they analyzed me and the evidence of my human drinkin' ways I pretended not to notice by watching the brunette exit her truck. She did so in the most ungraceful manner ever. While shuttin' the door she had somehow managed to catch the front pocket of her baggy sweatshirt on the manual window lever. Which in turn caused her to stumble._

_The possibility of her fallin' and scrapin' herself up in the presence of six vampires just had 'bad' written all over it. I was off my bike with an arm wrapped around the humans petite waist to steady her before anyone could blink._

_I sensed all of the other vampires immediately shift closer as they growled lowly in warning._

_The girl stiffened in my arms. Her heart-beat stuttered then accelerated wildly. I looked down to see two soulful chocolate colored eyes lookin' me over from head to toe in confusion._

_"I know I'm one sexy beast, Sweet Cheeks, but its mighty rude of ya to go undressin' me with yer eyes when I don't even know yer name," I teased._

_And that comment from the less analytical and more flirty part of my brain earned me a loud chorus of growls. I quickly released the human and backed away with both of my hands raised above my head in a show of submission._

_However, the human didn't seem upset. Judgin' by the soft snort of laughter and her twitchin' lip, I'd say she was rather amused by my bout of word vomit._

_"Names Bella Swan, and you would be?" She asked, meeting my burgundy eyes without portraying an ounce of fear._

_I couldn't decide whether she was brave for doin' so or just stupid, but I liked her immediately. This little human girls got balls of steel and I can definitely respect that._

_"**This** would be my brother, Peter Whitlock," a voice I haven't heard in person since the day he tore out of Philadelphia with his mate to find this coven rang out._

_In unison we all turned to see a slightly windblown Jasper strolling out of the forest to our right all non-fuckin-chalant like with the fortune-teller right on his heels._

_"Took ya long enough to join the party Major," I drawled. "I was startin' to think I'd be dust in tha wind before ya showed yer pretty face."_

_Jasper merely rolled his eyes at my snarky comment while pullin' me into an awkward brother-man hug thing. "Your lookin' good Peter!" he exclaimed, his Texas Twang much less noticeable than it used to be now that he's taken up livin' like a city-boy._

_The rest of the vamps had relaxed once it was obvious I wasn't gonna go flyin' off the handle at them or the flowery smellin' human. Now they were just watchin' our exchange with a shit load of interest. The surprise on their faces indicated that they weren't used to seein' the Major quite like this._

_"What brings you here? It's been nearly seventy years since I laid eyes on you or Charlotte. Speakin' of, where is that hellcat we call a sister?"_

_A slight grimace pulled at my lips. Charlotte leavin' wasn't exactly somethin' I wanted to be thinkin' bout cause it was the first time I'd been alone since becomin' a vampire. I just didn't know who I was anymore without her or Jasper there to define my role in life. I didn't feel like I had a purpose for my existence if I wasn't needed as a soldier or brother. To be honest, those few years after Charlotte and I split ways were extremely hard on me, but I eventually realized that I didn't need anyone else to give me a purpose because I needed to live for myself and no one else._

_So, to keep Jasper or anyone from pryin, I answered as nonchalantly as I could manage. "Oh that's a real cock an bull story right there. The short of it bein that she found her mate bout three an' a half decades ago when we were roamin' round Europe. Jus been me, myself, and I ever since. But I aint here to shoot the shit with ya Major."_

_I paused in the middle of my answer and took a step back so that I could look him in the eye. I wanted him and his family to know I was being entirely serious when I asked what I came all this way to find out._

_"Ya want ta tell me why some nomad that's too big for their britches has been able to make a newborn army a mere hundred miles from here without ya noticin' the obvious fuckin' signs?"_

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"Peter, can I ask you something?"

The soft question jolted me out of my recollections on how I came to be sittin in the Cullen livin' room feelin' all lovey-dovey towards em. The human I had been put in charge of watchin' twelve hours ago was sitting on the white love seat across the room from me. I tilted my head to the side and took note of her mannerisms as she nervously chewed away at her overly full bottom lip.

I'd taken a real shinin' to her these past couple of months so I was aware of her normal behavior when she approached anyone in this family. And this just wasn't it. Right now she was just actin' all kinds of wonky. I admit that this wasn' a terribly new development. She had been actin' funny ever since she had hissed and grabbed at that bracelet on her wrist round noon. Her behavior was even more off when she came back from havin' a human moment a few minutes later.

She was all quiet, broody, jumpy, and shifty.

Vampire or human, those sorts of things were never a good omen.

But I digress because the point is that her usual calm demeanor had deteriorated even further than it already had as she addressed me. Her thin body was tensed. Her heart-rate was elevated to nearly 90 beats per minute. Her delicately arched left eyebrow had begun twitching slightly. She was fiddlin' with the leather and silver bracelet on her right wrist even more than she had earlier.

She obviously thought whatever she was going to ask would upset me.

"Ya already have, but ya can ask me anythin else ya'd like, Sugar. I aint got any need for a-keepin' secrets," I assured her.

Her body relaxed a bit though I'm not sure if that was in response to the words I spoke or the lulling quality of my ever present southern drawl.

"Alright, well I know from Jasper's history that you were in the Vampire Wars with him so you're more than capable of handling newborns. But I was wondering why you keep disappearing and why you and Jasper lock yourselves away in his study when you get back."

I ran one of my scarred hands across my jaw as I thought of the best way to answer her question. It was a habit from my human life that had carried over.

"When I disappear it's so that I can hunt and gather information on Victoria's movements."

Her brow scrunched up all cute like at my blunt answer. It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't very detailed either.

"How?"

I directed a small grin at her to let her know I wasn't upset by her confusion as I propped my feet up on the coffee table and generally just spread my well muscled six foot five frame out across the couch. I knew doing so would make myself seem a bit more human in her eyes which is what I wanted for this conversation. I wanted her to be more comfortable with me. She returned my smile, albeit rather nervously, before lookin' down and fiddling with that bracelet some more.

"Well, by now I'm sure yer rather aware of how I hunt down criminals so I won't get inta that. But ol Vicky is a bit more complicated. Ya see, I've always been capable of bein' a very slippery fella when I wanted ta be. I was great at bein' sneaky as a human. That trait became my gift after the turn. It could be classified as either stealth or mental manipulation -maybe a bit of both- because I'm capable of makin' myself virtually invisible and untraceable to any human or vampire bar those who posses a mental shield."

Her pouty lips formed a perfect 'O' shape. Realization dawned in those pretty brown eyes. "So, you're using your gift to spy on her," she concluded.

I nodded, and waited. I just knew that she had a ton of other questions to ask now. Her curiosity was relatively predictable.

"Wou…would you mind telling me the rest of your story? I don't mean to be rude or anything by assuming I deserve to know. It's just…well…You see, it seems like your going to be around here for awhile and I really like you and I was just hoping you would tell me."

She had slightly stuttered while asking this next question, then began rambling. I couldn't suppress the small chuckle at how adorably shy and afraid she could be while asking these questions, but look me in my crimson eyes any other time without exhibiting any symptoms of fear.

"I'd be happy ta share my story with ya Bella. So how about ya get yourself comfortable and I'll start talkin' hmm?"

She gave a curt nod at my suggestion then stood and disappeared into the kitchen, presumably for whatever in there would make a human comfortable. She came back a few moments later with naught but a bottle of water in hand. I watched with a raised brow and in silent bemusement as she sat cross-legged on the floor in front of me then nonchalantly made the universal, two fingered hand symbol for me to continue.

"Unlike most vampires, I didn' lose the majority of my memories regarding my human life. I'm not sure why, but that's just the way it is and I aint never been one ta look a gift horse in the mouth," I started, flashing her a little grin when I heard her giggle at my unmistakably southern idiom.

"Alright, so from what I remember, I was born in July of the year 1894. My Ma's name was Lillian and my Pa's name was Matthew. I don't remember our last name, but I know that both my parents were from Louisiana. However, when Ma married my Pa, she moved with him to his ancestral plantation just outside of Lafayette.

It was a beautiful place. I loved it there. We had huge trees that lined the road to the house. There were Magnolias and Weeping Willows in the yard to climb and play on. We had this gorgeous field of wild-flowers beside our house that my Ma would diligently tend to in the Spring. Out back by the sugar cane fields was this huge barn for the hay, horses, and farming equipment. We had tons of other animals too 'cause we each were allowed ta keep our favorites as pets. My Ma loved rabbits. She raised a ton of 'em. Mine was this ol' blue tick hound my Pa gave me for my tenth birthday. His name was Patches an' he could sniff out a coon faster 'en two shakes of a sheep's tail."

I must have closed my eyes while I was rememberin', cause when I popped my peepers open to judge her reaction, the grinnin' brunette wasn't alone. The others had returned from huntin' sometime during the first part of my speech. They were all perched around the room, listening in fascination. This would be the first time for any of them, bar Jasper, to hear my story.

"Right, well I had a younger sister named Lelia and as Ma used to say, she and I could definitely _make the misere_. Thinking back, I sort of feel sorry for my Ma cause there is no denyin' that I was definitely very _canaille _as well as _a possede_," I mused.

The unique mixture of words that belong solely to the Cajun's of Louisiana****** were slidin' off my tongue easily at the memories of my past even after all these years of actively suppressing them from my speech. I took note of the slightly confused expressions my audience was sportin' and knew that I needed to clarify.

"You see, my Ma grew up speakin' Cajun which- if you don't know- is a mixture of the French, Indian, and Spanish languages. It's nearly a dead language nowadays, but it wasn' back then. She still spoke it consistently even after leaving her home deep in the Bayou Teche, so I always associate it with her in my memories. When I say _"make the misere"_ it means that Lelia and I liked to cause trouble. When I refer to myself as being_ canaille_, I meant that I was sly and sneaky which ultimately meant that I was _a possede_…a very bad little boy."

I finished my explanation off by giving a mischievous smirk. Bella and the others laughed outright at both my explanation and accompanying hand gestures.

"Oh, I have no doubt at all that you were a very bad little boy Peter. No doubt at all," Bella exclaimed, her brown eyes lit up with joy.

"Right, so if I let one of those words slip into my story and I don't remember to clarify, just ask me." I ordered in a mock stern voice.

They gave me a quick little nod and Emmett eagerly shouted for me to continue.

"Well, I remember bein' very protective of my sister growin' up. If anyone other' en me was mean to or insulted Lelia, I didn' hesitate to beat em up. I got in trouble at school a lot for that. By the time we were teenagers, she'd become a gorgeous young woman. Her hair was the same dark ash blonde color as mine which contrasted beautifully with the dark skin and eyes she inherited from our Ma. Whenever we went ta town, I would sometimes feel like I was goin' _motier foux_, half crazy, when it came to keepin' an eye on her and makin' sure men didn' try ta take advantage of her.

There's one time in particular I remember. It was 1915. I was twenty-one and she was sixteen. Pa finally decided I was mature enough ta drive our newly acquired Buick the few miles into town for supplies without gettin' into trouble.

Lelia spent the week leading up ta my trip whinin', wheedlin', and beggin' ta come with me. Pa finally relented and let her come with strict instructions for me ta keep an eye on her.

So I did as he said and watched her like a hawk the entire trip. It wasn' until I was loadin' up supplies to bring back to the plantation that trouble started. I noticed she was missin' about five minutes after I started. I wasn' too worried about it though. She was a real curious girl, so I figured something musta caught her fancy. I finished loadin' up the rest of our supplies then started lookin' for Lelia.

I found her a street away just outside of the dressmakers attemptin' ta get past this burly city boy. Every time she would move ta step around him, he would block her path. It wasn' until I saw him roughly push her up against the wall that I lost it. I drug him away from her and started beatin' the livin' hell out of him right there in the street. In fact, I didn stop punchin' him until I was physically removed by the-"

"-What a riveting tale. I'd love to hear more, vampire, but, unfortunately for you, story time's over," an unfamiliar, high pitched female voice cackled, stopping any more words from leaving my mouth.

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**~Side Notes~**

*****The Meuse-Argonne Offensive was a large series of battles occurring over a 100 day period during World War 1 in which the main objective was to breach the Hindenburg Line and force the opposing German forces to surrender. This Offensive was supported by the largest front-line commitment of troops from the U.S. Army during WW1.

****** These words of Cajun origin are ones that have English, French, Indian, and Spanish roots, but no viable translation in any of those languages because they are often interwoven. Their definitions are hard to ascertain unless you are familiar with those whom speak old world Cajun. I learned many of these words growing up by listening to my family on my father's side substitute them in sentences when they were too excited or upset to think of the correct English word.

Review and let me know how I'm doing!


	3. Nothin' More than Apathy

_********__Comin' Down to Nothin' More than Apathy_

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_**Please take time to read the super important Author's Note at the end of the Chapter!**  
_

_**Summary:** When Hermione's family is threatened because of her past, she calls upon her inner darkness and war training to save them. But who will save her from herself? This story will be set AU Eclipse and I believe that most of the Harry Potter sequence will be AU after Order of the Phoenix. _

_**Disclaimer: **I unfortunately am not the owner of the Harry Potter series or the Twilight saga. I'm just playing with the characters._

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**_(HPOV)_**

Roughly three hours after the attack on my parents or_- 'the incident'_- as I had begun referring to it mentally, I found myself gazing stoically at the faces of those around me. I was being careful not to let my eyes linger on any one person long enough for them to notice.

Of those present, approximately twelve individuals whom had fought at my side the most these past five years know me well enough to understand the complexities of my psych when under duress. They know without a doubt that I do not want their halfhearted condolences. They know I do not want them to come to me with their generic sympathies or apologies. Rather, they understand I wish for them to silently stand at my side in a show of unwavering support.

So the rest whom did not know these sorts of things about me ... well they were the ones I found myself avoiding direct eye contact with. I did not wish to see the pity or sympathy etched in their every expression once their stare met my own. To see such a thing might possibly break me by simply requiring me to acknowledge the guilt and grief lying beneath the anger, hate, and vengeance consuming my every thought. And I'm not ashamed to admit that there was no way I would be able to function with those sorts of emotions running rampant.

Avoidance. It and apathy- a habit I acquired during the war when I became incapable of dealing with the daily horrors I witnessed- had become my coping and self preservation methods of choice.

These past few hours while Harry, Ron, and I had been compiling a list of Order members who had been affected by Bellatrix in some way, I had also been working diligently to immerse myself into nearly a complete apathetic state. I had been forcing myself to become emotionally detached from everything happening around me save the anger and hate I felt towards Bellatrix and her minions.

Was it wrong?

Probably.

Would it hurt me in the long run?

Definitely.

The Mind Healer that Kingsley had forced upon me after an incident involving a very vivid and very public flashback four months ago wasn't going to like my actions either. Mostly because the crazy, old, Indian coot was all about recognizing and coming to terms with unsavory emotions or memories instead of avoiding them like I was prone to do. However, I couldn't bring myself to care because if I didn't succumb to the apathy then I would surely lose the small hold I held on sanity. And I needed my sanity to protect Charlie and Isabella while seeking vengeance for my lost family.

Protection and vengeance.

Those are the reasons I am currently surrounded by twenty-one talented members of the Order of the Phoenix. I cannot deny that they had genuinely surprised me earlier when I declared Bellatrix as my reason for summoning them to the safe-house I had taken up as my residence. While their angry reactions were what I expected, their willingness to join such an uncertain and dangerous mission were not. In all honesty I had only counted on a few of them to volunteer which is why I summoned such a large group. Instead, all twenty-one of them offered me their service without hesitation. I accepted because each of them possessed strengths I would be able to capitalize on.

So, to make this witch hunt easier on all of us, I took the liberty to divide the twenty-one into two groups based on said strengths. The ten whose skills lay more in the areas of tracking and tracing dark magic would remain based here in Europe where they would work towards finding Bellatrix's lair. Both teams of five, Team Night and Team Day, would be working in alternating twelve hour shifts so that there would be an active team at any given time of the day. The teams were to immediately begin searching for specific magical signatures in hopes of identifying those working at her side while remaining battle ready just in case back-up is needed.

Once I had the ten of them squared away, I then turned to my list of the remaining eleven. These veterans were some of the most talented and battle hardened members of the Order. Like Harry and I, most were natural born duelers. Powerful, quick on their feet, unpredictable, and creative. A very deadly combination during battle.

However, each and every individual was also fearsome in their own right.

Ron Weasley's skills lean more towards the strategic end of things. I've always known him to snag the upper hand by exploiting weaknesses most didn't even know they possess. Hestia Jones tends to be quite similar to Ron in that respect, but she also acquired rare skills most could only dream of mastering during the eight years she served as a Ministry Hit-Witch. Former Durmstrang student and front-man of the Weird Sisters - Kirley Duke- is downright vicious when it comes to proving he holds no tolerance for those wishing to follow in the footsteps of the late Gellert Grindelwald. The Czechoslovakian is even better with a wand than a guitar which is definitely saying something. The next member- Luna Lovegood- quite often finds herself being underestimated by her opponents during battle due to her perpetual dreamy expression. Unfortunately for them, the girl is as sharp as a tack beneath it all. Being a direct descendant of the High Fae always seems to serve her well in combat.

About three years ago Ernie McMillian took up the position of our resident field medi-wizard due to his affinity for healing spells. He also knows exactly where to aim most curses and hexes to maximize on the pain felt by the opponent. I would wager that he is just as effective alone as Fred and George Weasley put together. Though the aforementioned twins are easily the most adventurous of the entire Order, they are also the ones you give a wide berth to on the battlefield due to their compulsive need to cast their self-created, incredibly volatile, and irreversible spells during a fight.

The final three team members are all classified as I.H.C.'s (Intelligent Humanoid Creatures) with danger ratings ranging from XXXXX to XXX by the Ministry of Magic. Thus making them some of the most dangerous beings in the Order.

Remus Lupin's unmatched knowledge of defensive magic combined with his tendency to let his baser werewolf instincts rule him in battle make him one terrifying man. His quick movements, calculating eyes, and fierce snarls evoke fear into the hearts of many whom are unfamiliar with his relatively genteel personality. Then there is Muggleborn Terry Boot. He became silent but deadly after being fatally injured and subsequently turned into a magical vampire four years ago. His change enhanced his previously subtle albino characteristics to the extreme. Most people are extremely unnerved when they encounter his rather unorthodox and vibrant silver infused pink eyes. He relishes in such extreme reactions to his presence because it gives him at least a thirty second window to work his magic. Last but certainly not least is his mate Julia Laroche. The Veela from southern France has a sweet as pie personality; However, she has no control over her emotions when it comes to dealing with those responsible for killing off her clan. She tends to take to the skies as a vengeful, flame wielding harpy at the mere sight of Voldemort's followers.

Honestly, I cannot believe I'm lucky enough to have such a large and capable team at my disposal. Bellatrix and her lackeys won't know what hit them when we catch up with their sorry asses. When the time comes for us to engage them they will be expecting me and possibly the other two members of the Golden Trio, but not the nineteen comrades whom have our back.

I finally looked up from the notes I had been writing up for Kingsley in regards to our mission. I had also listed whose skills would make the most effective groupings in a side margin. Each group would be relatively skilled, though my wariness of placing a mated pair such as Terry and Julia together complicated things a bit. But like all problems, it was solvable.

Each of the remaining eleven volunteers were silent as I searched each of their faces for any sign that they may be regretting their decision to join this witch hunt. They were standing against the wall, legs spread at shoulders width apart with their wands held behind their back in a classic at ease stance, awaiting further instruction from the one they currently deemed in charge.

"Alright, Bellatrix has made her motives known. Until we are summoned to battle by the tracking team or the Ministry, we will be concentrating solely on protecting the target innocents. Unfortunately, this cannot be done without making ourselves known. So to secure the innocents we will be splitting up into two teams," I began once I was sure none of them wished to back out.

Their slight shifts in stance and demeanor told me I had their full attention, so I continued relaying the first part of the plan.

"Harry, Ron, Julia, Fred, Duke, and Remus are team one. Remus will be team leader. Your first portkey will take you to the forest just outside of our targets house. Secure the perimeter. Harry, I want you to approach the target since you are the most comfortable with Muggles. I'm warning you now that you will likely be met with a gun to the face as he has been warned that Death Eaters may be in the area. Calm him down. Explain who you are and our connection then get him to touch your secondary portkey. It will bring you all just outside of the Cullen house where I will be with team two."

Whilst I had been speaking, the six of them were nodding their acceptance of my rough guidelines. They understood that devising a concrete plan of action to reach their ultimate goal would be decided on amongst themselves as they knew their own limits the best. As soon as I was done, they grouped together around the map I had provided of the area and began discussing strategy whilst they awaited the signal to activate their portkey.

At the influx of noise I winced. Even though I had only been dealing with being a partial werewolf for the past couple of years, I knew without even looking at the time or a calendar that the full moon was now a mere week away. Starting with my hearing- my relatively normal senses would suddenly start becoming more sensitve. It was just something that happened at a random moment on the first day of the week leading up to the moon. I had yet to have it happen at the same time twice. Though that is probably because the full moon does not rise at the same time every month.

I had to take a moment to concentrate on acclimating myself to the strengthening senses. Once that was done, I was easily able to let the loud voices fade into a low hum. From the corner of my eye I could see Remus doing the exact same thing though I imagine it was much harder for him since his senses were much sharper than my own. We shared a knowing, sympathetic look with one another before I turned my full attention to my own team.

"Our objective will be infinitely more difficult than theirs. Just before the war ended, our targets shadow informed me that she had become romantically involved with a Muggle vampire. She spends the majority of her time amongst his coven. It is likely that they will not take to kindly to our presence or the news we bring."

The five faces before me shifted subtly in understanding of my unspoken warning. They recognized that we'd have to be especially careful on this mission or else we'd end up wasting valuable time fighting against and restraining the vampires.

"Our portkeys will drop us off here, at the end of the public entrance to the vampires property," I explained with a gesture to the point I had marked on the map that the shadow assured me was an accurate depiction of the Cullen residence and home.

"In order to not alert them of our presence immediately, we will need to apply the standard vampire repellent charms before departure. You five will secure the perimeter while I approach the target. Once the others have arrived, I want them to join you in maintaining the perimeter. Terry, you and Harry are to escort their target inside."

Happy that none of my team questioned their role, I went on to to explain the sort of protection charms and alarms I wanted them to begin placing around the property. Since we would be remaining there for at least twenty-four hours it needed to be as protected as possible. Though, if all went accordingly, I was hoping the large home would become a semi-permanent sort of headquarters for us to work from. As soon as we finished planning, I set the portkeys to depart in ten minutes.

"And what do you want us to do if there are Death Eater's on the premises?"

The cacophony of noise that had erupted as everyone began a last minute check of their person to ensure they had all of their required gear stopped immediately. You could have heard a pin-drop in such silence. Eleven pairs of eyes immediately looked to me as Ron asked a question that had likely not crossed any of their minds since they did not think on the same strategic level as the redhead.

"If they are present when you arrive, your objective changes. We will not indulge them in a full out battle with innocents in the vicinity. You are to engage them long enough rescue the target only. Call for back up if needed. If worse comes to worst and we are not capable of capturing the innocents, then activate your emergency portkey. It will take you to the rendezvous point- Safe-House Six. From there we regroup and discuss counter attacks," I answered without missing a beat.

It was a solution I didn't even have to think about. I had decided immediately that we would not give them a fight at this point. Until we had a more solid plan, preferably one where we were not entering a situation blind, our only objectives were to protect and defend. I took their subsequent silence to mean that they had no more questions about the mission or how they should proceed.

I took five minutes to carefully take stock of my own belongings to ensure I was fully prepared for any situation I might find myself in. I could feel the weight of my Vine and Dragon Heart-string wand as it once again settled into the invisible holster beneath the sleeve of my right arm. A quick lift of my left pant leg revealed that the spare Cherry and Thestral Hair wand I won the allegiance of during a dual with Walden Macnair was tucked safely into my ankle holster next to a simple dagger of pure silver with a dragon hide handle at the top. Another similar blade, this one larger than the dagger, was strapped my right thigh and rendered invisible by a few well chosen spells. Next, I took stock of the small pouch of emergency potions I always carried. It was fully stocked and secured tightly to the dragon hide belt of my black cargo pants next to the weightless supply bag I had charmed with an _undetectable extension charm_ a few years ago.

My team and I then quickly applied our vampire repellent charms so that we would not have a scent or heart-beat for them to detect. We also shot silencing charms at each others feet so that our movement would remain off their radar as well. As soon as the last spell was cast, we all rushed to gather around the two portkeys as the thirty second warning sounded. A small, encouraging smile were the last exchanges between the two teams before our respective crimson scarves glowed bright blue and sent us twirling through time and space.

Approximately two minutes later, my comrades and I found ourselves deposited onto little more than a damp dirt path in the midst of the woods. My senses were immediately assaulted by the colors, sounds, and wild scents of the surrounding forest. I could practically smell the freedom out here in this wide-open, scarcely populated area. The slowly emerging wolf was practically humming in contentment as it got a whiff of my unfamiliar surroundings.

I sighed.

It was barely two hours into the week leading up to the moon and I could already tell my lupine characteristics were going to be enhanced this month- more than likely from the anger I feel in regards to the threat to my family as well as the sudden change in scenery. I had to literally shake off my desire to explore the alluring forest further as I fell into a formation that was near second nature.

We took off at a moderately fast jog up the center of the mile long dirt drive. George, Ernie, Terry, Hestia, and Luna were moving at the same steady pace on either side of me. A quarter mile up, Terry broke rank to run a loop around the property with his handy dandy vampire speed. George and Hestia disbanded to the left and right respectively at my hand signal once we were at the half mile point. Luna and Ernie were the next to go once we had traversed another quarter mile. The five of them would run diagnostic spells over their areas to ensure that there were not any dark wizards hiding out before they began adding the protective enchantments.

That left me to cover the last quarter mile on my own.

I slowed to a walk as I came into a meadow. A large, three story Victorian era home with a colonnaded portico was situated in the center. On the far right side of it, a white double seated swing swayed in the light evening breeze. There were well manicured, brightly blooming flowerbeds situated throughout the yard as well as on either side of the gently sloping stairs giving the property the perfect welcoming feel. All in all, the beautiful home demanded awe from all who gazed upon it.

As I approached the long and winding sidewalk, approximately 300 meters from the front door, I could hear that all hell had broken loose inside. Due to the feminine and very human sounding sobs I could hear despite all of the yelling and growling, I decided it would be in my best interest to skip the formality of knocking and just invite myself inside. I quickly cast a _disillusionment_ charm on myself to avoid giving away my presence.

Just in case.

The overwhelmingly concentrated predatory scent of unknown vampires were the first thing I noticed as I pushed open the door. I actually had to take a moment to let my baser instincts become accustomed to the eight distinct scents before I could proceed. The vampire occupants of the room were so engrossed in either comforting Isabella or fighting amongst themselves that they didn't register the door opening of its own accord. I slipped inside unnoticed and quickly took stock of where each person was situated in the room.

Two dark haired female vampires, both slight in nature, were on either side of Isabella offering comfort. Behind the stark white couch, in direct contrast of the two sympathetic women, stood a massive man with both of his bulging arms crossed over his chest in a classic protective stance. Another male, this one blond with a compassionate face was knelt at her feet. He was sporting a perplexed expression as he asked her questions about the identity of "that odd woman" in a soft tone. His eyes shone with exasperation each time she refused to answer by tilting her chin up in a classic show of the Swan family stubbornness. Though I was extremely curious in regards to what they were talking about, I let my eyes roam past him to the female blond whom could have been mistaken for a Veela leaning against the far wall. She was watching the proceedings with an indifferent expression although her eyes told a different story. They gave away her interest.

In the middle of the room stood the sources of all the growling and indiscernible yelling. A male with curly honey colored locks was flanked by a red-eyed male. The human drinking, ash blond wall of rippling muscle had obviously been turned in his late twenties because his body was fully developed. He stood at an intimidating two and a quarter meters, effectively dwarfing his younger companions lightly muscled, two meter frame. Both had extremely heavy scarring along their jawlines as well as on the visible areas of both their arms and neck. From my conversations with one of the female vampires in Terry's coven, I knew that these scars were sort of like badges of honor amongst their species. These were the scars of warriors. They acted as a visual representation of a vampires effectiveness in battle. Each impression of teeth belonged to a vampire whom had not been capable of killing them. They told all who dared gaze upon them that they best proceed with caution. Even the odd scar positioned kitty-corner above red-eyes' left eyebrow didn't lessen the vibes of _'don't fuck with me'_ the two gave off.

I actually sort of held a smidgen of respect for the feral, lanky, copper-top going toe to toe with them when most would cower in fear.

Aware of the rough position of everyone in the room, I started correlating them with all of the possible escape routes to find the best place for me to take up in the room. As my eyes passed over the floor to ceiling window in appreciation for the options it offered me, the unmistakable sheen of blood could be scene glinting on its surface. I was -unfortunately- not at an angle that afforded me the ability to discern any other details regarding it. As I took my next breath, I paid more attention to the undertones of the overpowering predatory scents in the room. I could definitely identify the slightly sweet, metallic properties of blood now that I was looking for them. Luckily the vampires all seemed to concerned about the cause of the blood to even contemplate attacking.

Unwilling to ask the millions of questions that came to mind in regards to said blood before I found the best strategic point in the room, I continued my analysis of the area. I actually spent several minutes weighing the pros and cons between that glass window and the far wall between the front door and the entrance to the kitchen. In the end I chose the latter to lean against because it offered me the best view of the rooms occupants and appeared to have the best position for self defense and escape.

The inhumane sounds in the center of the room grew louder and a vampire brawl seemed imminent;Therefore, I decided it was time to make myself known.

"I don't know _what the fuck_ is going on with you vampires, but _someone_ better tell me why I smell blood and why Isabella is sobbing right this instant," I bellowed as I simultaneously removed the _disillusionment_ charm hiding my presence.

Nine faces whipped around to stare at me. The vampires surprise was slightly humorous. I'd wager they aren't used to being caught unawares. However, the wariness I also noted in their expressions stopped the triumphant smirk that wanted to stretch across my lips. Well, that and the instantly blackening eyes which were accompanied by a chorus of ferocious growls.

Fuck.

I snarled back at a volume to low for a human to hear and narrowed my own eyes knowing their oddity happened to be quite intimidating. You see, my once brown pupils were now streaked with both amber and red. The amber was a side-effect of Fenrir's attack and the red came from being in close contact with Lord Voldemort's soul via _Horcrux_ for several weeks at a time. Just in case my warning was not heeded, I enacted a bit of wandless magic to restrain them. I really didn't want to waste any valuable time fighting with them.

"Her...Hermione?" The bell like voice of my younger cousin questioned in between sobs.

Black eyes belonging to the eight frozen bodies in the room darted back and forth between us. Their owners were obviously trying to discern some sort of relationship since we obviously knew one another.

The more mature version of the little girl I remember quickly abandoned her perch on the couch. She wiped the tears from her face then made her way towards me. She cradled her bloodied left arm close to her body, but spread her right one wide as if she were going to hug me. Instinctively I took a few steps away from her advancing form. The logical part of me knew she was not going to attack; However, the side of me that was wound up and itching for a fight perceived her actions as a threat.

"I do believe I once told you that assuming identities could be a fatal mistake, Isabella," I stated. It came out rather harsh, but that was just one of the unfortunate side effects when one only allowed hate and anger to occupy their emotions.

Her body became stock still as she looked at me with big, innocent doe eyes. For a few seconds she looked genuinely confused. Then her eyes got impossibly wider and her mouth made an 'O' shape as she realized her mistake. She took a step back and leveled an entirely serious expression on me.

"What happened the first time you performed accidental magic in front of me?"

I nodded to let her know she had asked the correct question and let a small, proud smirk tilt my lips as I answered, "I turned your hair lime green when you wouldn't share the princess coloring book. You thought it was neat and offered to let me have the book if I could give you hot pink stripes as well."

A brilliant smile spread across her face. Seconds later, her petite body came hurtling towards me even faster than before.

I backed away once more to show that I was uncomfortable with her approach. Apparently unable to read even the most blatant forms of body language, she kept on coming. My instincts went on high alert and I felt an uncontrollable flash of intense anger. I had subtly warned her off of approaching me by stepping away and she didn't heed the warning. It was all I could do to restrain myself from pulling my wand out and cursing her as my instincts demanded. Just as her body was a little less than a meter away from my own, I gripped her shoulders and leaned down a hair so that our noses were mere millimeters apart.

"You may be family, but that _does not_ afford you the right to initiate contact with me. If you wish to keep your head connected to your body, you will _never_ come at me in such a manner again. _Do you understand_?" I practically snarled.

A chorus of sharp hisses and low growls from the gallery of observing vampires sounded. I had no doubt that they would have attacked me if they were capable of moving. However, they weren't, so I paid them no mind.

"Hermione?" my name was her only response. Her voice was laden with confusion at my harsh tone and tears were once more spilling from her brown eyes.

"_Do. Not. Touch. Me. Without. Permission_," I clarified sharply, "_Ever_."

A nod was her only response as she slowly backed away from me. I could smell the smidgen of fear wafting from her meaning she definitely understood my warning. Once she was a respectable distance away, I held up my hand for her to stop. I then cautiously approached her on my own terms and reached for the arm she still held against her body.

She didn't let me move the arm an inch. She refused to let me see it, something akin to shame was spread across her face as she stared at the bloodied limb.

In a change of tactics I questioned, "what happened to it?" in a much softer tone than I had used before.

Tears once more spilled down her cheeks as she bit her lip then shook her head in refusal to answer.

"Tell me now, Isabella or I'm going to assume that one of your vampire friends harmed you and I promise that you will not like the sorts of punishment I would consider for such an infraction against your trust," I growled with an annoyed curl of my lip.

She lifted her head, those eyes of hers no longer staring holes into the floor. Instead they were looking at me defiantly.

"It wasn't one of them," she hurriedly assured. "I...I got your message about the Death Eaters and I was doing so good. I hadn't panicked. I was watching out and being careful. I even had a plan to escape in case they showed up. I just... I didn't know anyone would be able to sneak up on a coven of vampires."

The last part came out as a whisper. If I hadn't of possessed sensitive hearing, I wouldn't have heard her.

"Are you saying Death Eaters hurt your arm?"

She shook her head.

"No, just one. I... I'm pretty sure it was Bellatrix Lestrange. After she took off that awful magical mask, I could see that she had wild, curly black hair, sharp features, and blue eyes so harsh they made you cringe. Just like you described her when you were giving Charlie and I profiles of all the most dangerous Death Eaters in the war. She interrupted Jasper's brother, Peter, telling us about his life. She yanked me to her and... the... the Cullens couldn't move. They couldn't save me from her. And I obviously couldn't save them from someone so crazy and powerful. She.. she did something to my arm with her wand. Then she wrote a message using my blood on the window and... and she said she'd come back and kill Charlie and I later since you were -and I quote-_ 'obviously too busy mourning over the mangled bodies of your filthy, muggle parents to make the game of ripping your life apart piece by piece any fun.'_ Then she pointed at the window and told me to make sure you read it."

By the end of her explanation she looked both confused and heart-broken. What happened had obviously affected her deeply. Unfortunately, I was not the type to go around offering false sympathies or words of comfort. Especially when she happened to mention that Bellatrix Lestrange had done something to her arm. The explanation caused a feeling of dread to well up in my chest. This situation had 'bad' written all over it. Bellatrix Lestrange, the most demented Death Eater ever, had willingly touched a muggle. She didn't just willingly go around touching those she despised unless she inflicted some sort of horrible damage upon them.

In a move to fast to be entirely human, I yanked Isabella's arm away from her body. I didn't pay any heed to her disgruntled protests or her pitiful attempts to pull it back against her body. There was no not showing me now that I knew who had hurt her. I had to check the wound for curses and poisons. I had to make sure she wasn't in imminent danger. Then, I had to check for tracking charms and an attempt to get a trace on the magic.

Of their own accord, my eyes widened in shock as the wound came into view. It wasn't a cut or gash like I expected.

Instead there was a blood streaked, pitch black snake slithering through the mouth of an equally dark skull.

_The Dark Mark._

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**_Authors Note:_**

**_I'm sure you have all noticed the long wait between chapters on both of my stories. Well, there is a reason. I've been super, super busy.  
_**

**_These past few weeks, fellow authors Banana Flavored Eskimo, Michelle Amethyst, and Keelhaulrose have joined me in creating a blog called Wicked Goddesses.  
_**

**_The four of us will highlight our favorite stories from the Harry Potter, Twilight, and Crossover fandoms as well as stories from other fanfiction sites in daily post segments._**

**_Please, check us out at www(dot)wgoddesses(dot)blogspot(dot)com_**

**_Oh! Don't forget to review!  
_**


	4. 1 More Unknown Condition

_**1 More Unknown Condition, 1 More Wound for Every Reason Why  
**_

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_** Warning:** This story is **rated M** for reasons other than sex and swearing. It will be extremely dark for Hermione's character and a bit graphic at times. I suggest you pass on this one if seeing a hard, cold, ruthless, closed off, and sarcastic portrayal of Hermione bothers you or if a bit of blood and guts just isn't your thing because I have no intention of changing it. _

_**Disclaimer: **I unfortunately am not the owner of the Harry Potter series or the Twilight saga. I'm just playing with the characters._

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For the life of me I couldn't tear my eyes away from the Dark Mark on her left forearm. I stood, eyes transfixed on Isabellas' milky-white skin, as the vile serpent slowly slithered its way in and out of the skull. The undulating movement of the snakes coils seemed to be taunting me. Every few seconds it would idly flick its forked tongue in my direction as if it were pointing out my obvious inability to protect the members of my family.

My jaw clenched tightly in response because that stupid snake was right.

I had failed and my innocent, muggle parents had been cruelly slaughtered. My innocent, muggle uncle had yet to be accounted for. And my innocent, muggle cousin had been branded. I felt so...actually no words would ever be adequate in describing how I felt about what had happened in the last twenty-four hours.

My eyes closed as some of my suppressed guilt leaked out.

My parents were dead and sweet little Isabella had been injured because of me. Both by the very people I had been protecting them from for all these years. Because of me, Isabella now has a disgusting magical blemish on her pale body. Such a tragedy. Someone like her shouldn't have been branded with the mark of those who would rather see her dead than alive.

Thoughts such as those swirled around in my head for several seconds before I was able to reign my guilt back in so that, once more, anger was the dominant emotion ruling my being.

A vicious rumble began deep down in my chest cavity. It vibrated so fiercely that I could do nothing but let that animalistic, wolfish growl push its way past my lips. I had no way of tempering it into something more humane due to the pure fucking fury coursing through my veins. I quickly dropped Isabella's arm, afraid of breaking her fragile bones with my lycan strength.

I stalked over to that blasted, window. For the second time in less than twenty-four hours, I found myself staring at a half-dried, half-dripping dripping message written in the blood of a loved one.

**_'Isabella screams so pretty. I can't wait to show her your favorite spells._**

**_B.L.'  
_**

"Fuck!" I snarled as soon as the taunt about my time beneath her wand registered.

My mounting anger caused me to lose the tenuous control I had on my magic. Sparks and waves of energy began shooting from my fingertips. In one of the wild pulses, the vampires were able to break out of my wandless hold. I couldn't regain enough restraint over myself to reinforce the spell, so I watched as they all rushed to Isabella unhindered. They all looked at me from their defensive positions around her body...assessing whether or not I posed a threat.

"Who was the woman that hurt Bella?"The blond that radiated compassion earlier questioned in as polite a tone as he could muster with a low growl vibrating in his chest.

"Bellatrix LeStrange. The most dangerous dark witch to exist in a century. She was the Dark Lord's right hand in battle during both of the wars he waged on magical society. She is a wanted criminal by the Ministry of Magic for over one thousand counts of murder among other things," I spat.

"And who are you?"

"Isabella's cousin, Hermione."

My reply to what appeared to be the coven leader came out sounding strained due to my struggle with my emotionally charged magic. I couldn't lose control. If I did, if I just let go, I would likely obliterate the entire house and everyone inside. My eyes slipped closed as I concentrated on my breathing.

In.

...

Out.

...

"We assumed Bella didn't have any family other than Charlie and Renee."

In.

...

"Well, you know what they say about people who assume."

Out.

"Whether or not you're her cousin doesn't matter. I want to know **_why _**you're going on about witch's and magic," the heavily muscled brunette growled.

My eyes popped open at his tone and an answering growl passed my lips. Didn't the vampire realize how close I was to loosing it? Couldn't he have asked without throwing in the threatening growl which brought my wolf closer to the surface?

"I'm going on about witch's and magic because I _**am**_ a witch. Meaning I was born with the ability to perform magic. And yes, in case you missed the memo, magic does exist. How the fuck else do you think I got in this room without any of you vampires sensing my presence?"

"Do all witch's posses creepy eyes and growl?"

"No," I snarled.

"You are very angry," the scarred, curly haired one interrupted what was sure to be another question that would undoubtedly piss me off further. He slowly straightened from his crouch as if he perceived that I wasn't a threat. "But it is not directed at anyone in this room. Underneath that you feel great sorrow, love, relief, guilt, and self-loathing..."

"Was there a question in there somewhere, Sparkles, because I assure you that I know perfectly well how I feel," I sneered with narrowed eyes.

"I was just makin' an observation, Darlin," He placated as he tilted his head to the side and examined me.

That head tilt and penetrating stare sent all of my control right out the window. I hate being stared at as if I'm some freak that doesn't belong. Frankly, I was too angry and out of control from the stress of the past twenty-four hours to care about their sparkly arses or their asinine questions any longer.

I whirled around and punched the nearest wall as hard as possible. Satisfaction welled up inside me as I watched a small fist sized portion crumble. With that bit of release, I was able to calm my raging magic enough that it receded back into my body. But it still wasn't enough to satisfy my baser instincts. I raised my fist again, ready to let my wolf release more of its pent-up fury on something inanimate, but my cousins trembling sob of "Hermione, what did she do to me," stayed my hand.

Slowly I turned until tri-colored eyes met teary brown. My gaze then flicked to meet the black orbs of the eight vampires who seemed to be begging me for an answer to that question as well.

"She...Merlin, Isabella. That vile bitch branded you with the Dark Mark."

My cousin gaped at me then stared down at her own arm in disbelief, "This is how the Dark Lord identified his army? But it's just a tattoo. A very...painful tattoo, but it's still just a stupid tattoo. Why are you so angry?"

"This," I growled as I stalked around the vampires and pushed her arm so that it was right in front of her nose. "Is not _just_ a tattoo, Isabella. The Dark Lord was a master of the Forbidden Arts: Death Magic, Soul Magic, and Slave Magic. He manipulated them and pushed their boundaries to new heights in the darkest ways possible. This painful little tattoo... is something of his own creation. I'm surprised he even deigned to teach Bellatrix how to cast it. But then again she _was_ fucking old snake face..." I paused as a shudder of disgust passed over my body at that mental image.

"Bellatrix was...was having _sex_ with the Dark Lord?" Bella gasped, looking a bit repulsed.

I curled my lip in disgust, "yeah... Talk about being loyal to the cause."

"Back to the point?" Copper-top growled.

"Right. My apologies. Anyway, as far as we know the Dark Mark is a medieval slave-brand infused with a volatile form of Soul Magic. By branding you with it, that slag tainted your soul in the worst way... She literally sliced a bit of yours off then tied that portion of it to hers and essentially enslaved you to her in the same way she was enslaved to her master."

"I reckon this ain't a good thing, Sugar," Red eyes drawled over the growls of his coven mates.

"I knew it wouldn't be a good thing the moment Isabella said Bellatrix willingly touched her. That vile, loathsome, psychotic bitch would never just _touch_ a non-magical. To her non-magicals are nothing more than scum that exist solely for her to kill and torture. So I was expecting to see cursed wounds or something of that sort... just not... not this. **_This_** is a very, very bad thing."

I suppressed an annoyed snarl. If only I'd gotten here sooner. Maybe I could have stopped the bitch. Or something. Anything other than this...

"What does this mean for my Bella? What will a portion of her soul being enslaved to that... that _woman _do to her?"

"Well, I can definitely say that it _will not_ be pleasant. The Dark Lord invented the tattoo for the sole purpose of summoning and/or torturing his soldiers. That intense pain she is in tears over right now... well it doesn't ever really go away. In fact, it only gets worse from here on out. The Mark hurts when being administered because its slicing up and enslaving part of your soul. Then it will burn with a sharp, stinging pain when the slave is being summoned by their master. If the slave can't respond to the summons, then the pain doesn't go away for days. Then when the caster wishes to torture the slave, they press upon the Mark and pour all of their hate and displeasure into the link. It will cause an agonizing pain that burns deep into the soul... literally."

The vampires stared at me, mouths agape. Bella began to sob harder as what she would be forced to endure sunk in.

"What can we do to make it...better?"

"To be honest,"I said as I gave Isabella's copper-topped boyfriend and his family a solemn stare. The same one I perfected during the war when I had to deliver bad news to soldiers, families, and victims on a near daily basis. "Nothing. At this point, it would probably be considered more humane for us to kill her."

The room filled with the sound of pissed off vampire hissing and growling.

Bella's sobs literally stopped due to the shock of my admittance. "You...you're my **_cousin_**. We're family! How can you say that it would be more **_humane_** to **_kill_** me?"

"I'm just telling them the cold, hard, truth, Bella. Excuse me for not sugar-coating it and telling them that the pain will be manageable because it won't be. We can try, but it will not help all that much. You are a normal human with a normal human's tolerance for pain. That mark was made to be used on a witch or wizard whose perception of pain is vastly different. Witches and wizards can use their magic to temper and adapt to experiencing such intense pain. You cannot. That mark on your arm will grant you nothing more than a slow, agonizing death."

"What if we change her? Vampires are soulless creatures. If we change her then the bond will have to disappear with her soul."

I couldn't help it. I laughed. Loudly with plenty of bitter undertone. The situation we'd found ourselves in wasn't the least bit funny, quite the opposite really, but Merlin this vampires overly dramatic whining about his lack of a soul was so cliche.

"The animal blood must seriously be fucking with your brain," I told copper-top once I'd stopped cackling like a mad-woman. "_Vampires are soulless creatures_. Seriously? Can you sound anymore melodramatic. Or for that matter, can you get anymore ignorant in regards to your own species?

You know what? Never mind. Don't answer that.

The point is that vampires are far from being soulless creatures. The only living thing on this planet void of a soul is a creature known as the Dementor and believe me you **_do not_** want to be comparing yourself to those vile things. So, no, changing her into a vampire will not fix this problem. In fact, changing her would make the problem much worse."

"Is there anything we can do... anything?"

I looked at the heart-broken vampires in front of me. Their faces mirrored exactly what I felt inside and how I knew Charlie would feel once he found out about the situation. The fact that they loved my cousin so completely told me that I should do anything within my power to save her.

Even if it meant I'd have to spend countless hours researching and inventing some crazy new ritual.

The longer I thought about it, the more determined I felt. I had to save her. I had to. Isabella's family, and I don't let my family die if there is anything I can do to prevent it. Though, as various theories and ideas began forming, I came to realize that if I wanted to succeed then I'd have to summon the one person I knew had the most knowledge about the Dark Mark and its effects.

Severus Snape.

As I raised my wand to summon my Patronus and send him a message, I felt the wards around the property shift. Team One's portkey had just dropped them off. I made use of my sensitive hearing to monitor their heart-beats so I'd know whether they were injured or upset. All six familiar rhythms of my comrades seemed to be accounted for and within their normal beats per minute level. Meaning they weren't too stressed out. Leaving... I tilted my head more towards the outside wall of the house, two extra that were both beating quite fast although one seemed to flutter at a pace that wasn't...human.

Odd.

Curious about the extra heart-beat, I began walking towards the door. "A team of my comrades has arrived with Charlie and a spare," I threw over my shoulder as I pushed open the front door and descended down into the Cullens front yard.

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**_AN:_**_ Hey guys! I know it's been a really long time since I"ve updated, but if you check my profile you will find that there is a very good reason. No, I'm not back from my HIATUS, this is just a short something I had the time to type up and figured I would share. _

_**I promise that neither of my stories are abandoned!**_


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